Gate: And the IJA Conquered!
by MrAH2010
Summary: What happens when you cross a great anime with a little bit of alt-history? A tale of drama and death, adventure and agony, friendship and family. Join the Japanese Army as the sun rises over the special region and burns it.
1. Prologue

Author's Notes.

Rated T (just like anime) for violence, mild swearing, probably unintentional innuendos. (Manga is a lot worse BTW)

This fanfiction should technically be a crossover, but instead of new characters it simply changes Earth's political situation.

The origin of this story started from a class project about alt-history and got combined with Gate after I watched it.

The Roman/Medieval Empire within the Special Region will be referred to as the Saderan Empire, you will see within 10 words of the story.

I don't own Gate.

 **POV: ITAMI**

It was a gloomy Saturday morning in the Empire of Japan. Smoke billowed out of the nearby armory and into the street, citizens scurried out of the streets as soon as they saw him.

Despite the ruinous state of the Tokyo slum, Itami was in a good mood. He was dressed leather scale armor and donned a katana that he proudly wore as strode through the streets. Hurrying along he checked his watch. 10:30 am, November 11th, 2021. He sped up the pace; if he was late for the ceremony he was going never going to survive the year. His friends would never let him live it down, and his commander would certainly murder him. He had been late to Emperor Shōwa Remembrance Day ceremony yesterday and was on thin ice.

As he ran to the ceremony a crumpled up a red letter flew out of his pocket and into the gutter. Not turning back Itami ran onwards. The letter was important, but having already read it he already knew what it was. It was another infraction for misusing his samurai gear, or as the Imperial Senate put it, "An official citation for the improper use of military dress wear."

Talk about old and stuffy. What was the point of having all of these cool toys and not getting to use it? Who cared if Itami and his friends dressed up and had LARP sessions? Sure, some of them (not Itami, of course) may have gotten drunk and terrorized some old folks thinking they were kobolds, but it's not like they had anything else to do. His hobby and his job were pretty much the only things he had. And if Itami lived by anything in life it was one thing, he worked to support his hobby.

Having come out of the slums a while ago he finally came into the perfect and clean downtown. Jogging into Schlacht Square he spotted the officials already conducting the ceremony.

The official practically shouted to the crowd, his eyes full of patriotic zeal. "It was 100 years ago we fought in the war to end all wars. Despite being strong and brave we were still ignored and not treated as the great power we had become. But not for long, for not even twenty years later our former friends fell to revolution and riots and the rebel scum tried to destroy the civilized world. As the lands of Europe and America fell to civil war and strife, our great immortal emperor united with fellow empires and defeated these traitors. The fight was not easy but with the help of the **Dual Monarchy,** a nation deeply split and …"

In the chaos of the cheering crowd Itami tried to sneak in undetected. "Shit, I'm late!" He muttered to himself. However, before he could disappear into the crowd, a large figure came up behind him and laid their hands on his shoulders. Itami nearly jumped out of his skin, a cold sweat pouring down his back as he heard a voice.

Deep and rumbling it warned, "Yes, you are very late; now come with me unless you want to be very dead as well."

Swallowing his fear, Itami walked with the man to his certain death. They walked to a small soundproofed booth. Although an always-on radio played the speech they had left. This booth was meant to keep sound from getting out.

Embracing his death, Itami sat down in a chair. The figure walked from behind him and sat down across him, and Itami nearly fell out of his chair. The Minister of War, Tarō Kanō sat in front of Itami with the biggest shit eating grin on his face.

"Gah! You could have at least told me it was you!" Itami got up and screamed at the official.

Smiling and laughing Tarō stood up as well and embraced Itami in a hug, effectively shutting him up by smothering his mouth. "It's good to see you too as well? I hope you haven't gotten into any trouble lately?" he knowingly asked.

Itami pulled away from the hug and sat back down, "Well, you probably know about the infringement letter, but that doesn't count. So, no I'm not in trouble. Unless there's a legitimate reason for you to be the one to apprehend me?"

Caught out, Tarō scratched the back of head sheepishly. He gave an excuse that got more sarcastic as it spun out, "Well there was a potential threat at the officiation ceremony. An armed man sneaking around. What if someone got hurt? I could never forgive myself."

Itami snorted, "Pfft, yea and I'm going to sacrifice myself for this country. Anything else new?"

Laughing, Tarō jokingly defended his absenteeism, "Well I heard rumors that someone was terrorizing the elders last week. I had a gut feeling that the person might have been the culprit."

Itami went on the offensive and jibed at Tarō, "Well I've heard that a certain minister used to do that when he was in the IJA."

"That brings back some good memories." Tarō recalled. Wiping a tear from his eye due to all the laughter, he continued, "Some of the best adventures I had was during the occupation of Sydney, we had some wild adventures there."

The two old friends laughed and began to converse. Soon an hour had passed without either of them realizing it. However, they were soon interrupted by the slight shaking of the earth.

"Huh, an earthquake?" Tarō wondered, "We just had a major one recently, and it's too late to be an aftershock."

Getting up and stretching, Itami yawned out, "Maybe it's the crowd applauding the dignitaries from the ceremony, now that it's over."

"As much as I wish the ceremony was over, the earth is shaking _too_ much." Tarō pointed to objects on the wall which were clearly starting to feel the movement.

Getting down and crawling under the desk Itami looked up to Tarō, "Well are you gonna join me or not?"

Smiling, Tarō started to duck down when a massive axe came swinging into the door, splintering it and sending pieces everywhere. One caught Itami in the head, stunning him despite his helmet.

A disgustingly ugly creature loomed above the War Minister. Tall, muscular hairy and covered in a bloody sweat, it was unlike anything Itami had ever seen. It was _green_. It screamed a hideous war cry and struck Tarō.

Tarō, a former soldier, was able to avoid a lethal blow, but the blade still caught his leg, slicing the flesh to the bone. He screamed in agony and terror at the beast.

As the monster went for the killing blow, Itami snapped out of his daze. Rushing up he drew his Katana and met the blade before it caught the neck of Tarō.

Quickly pushing upwards, he managed to get close to the monster and twist his blade and cut the arm of the assailant.

Screaming in pain in punched Itami with it's remaining arm. The rage filled punch sent Itami flying into the back of the room. Without the armor the impact might have killed him. Luckily for him, it only metaphorically killed him as he was left gasping for breath in pain.

Enraged the beast picked up Itami's sword and went to kill him when a shot rang out, and the creature fell to the floor dead. Tarō held a pistol in his hand while trying to stop the bleeding with his other.

Itami slowly made his way to the minister and quickly closed the wound with the stapler and tape on the desk.

"You goddamn son a bitch! Are you trying to make the pain worse?" Tarō roared, wincing as Itami worked.

"Sorry, but you're not allowed to die on me yet." Itami replied while standing up with Tarō's arm around his shoulder.

Leaving the interrogation booth, they found only chaos and death. Men and creatures laden with metal armor swords and shield were busy fighting Japanese soldiers dressed in leather scale armor and armed with katanas. Limbs, and heads rolled around between the corpses while blood flowed through the streets. Arrows rained down from the sky, killing indiscriminately.

Occasionally crackles of gun fire could be heard, but those were pointed skywards. Because of the packed, and disorganized mob, every bullet that struck one of the enemy an equal amount found homes in friends.

Besides, there were other issues giant winged creatures flew around. Itami's jaw dropped when he saw this. Then it fell through the floor when it opened its mouth and blew a pillar of flame, roasting a group of men. A massive boom thundered across the square. One of the parade tanks had managed to hit the beast. It was obviously injured, but not down, as it angrily roasted the tank.

Whether or not the tank crew and survived was not Itami's concerned now. He was trying to get Tarō to safety. Picking up a pistol from a severed arm, Itami and Tarō proceeded to slowly make their way through the chaos; other IJA soldiers recognizing their War Minister and defending him with their lives. Eventually they managed to reach a vehicle that hadn't been destroyed.

Itami laid the minister into the back seat and began to hotwire the car. "C'mon, C'mon! Start!" As he tried to get the car running, the tide of monsters slowly crept closer and closer. IJA soldiers defended the position to their last dying breath. Trying to buy seconds with their lives.

Finally, the vehicle roared to life and Itami floored it. And just in time, as they accelerated he hit a small man covered in war paint, only 3 feet tall and sent him flying. They managed to escape just as the mob overran the poor souls left behind. Where they went didn't matter, anything was better than here.

 **POV Saderan Imperial General**

"Sir!" A tall muscular man, clad in officer's gear, reported to the General. "The advance party suffered heavy casualties, but the vanguard army and cavalry have routed the enemy army. Dragon scouts have reported no masses of troops larger than 100 within miles of the engagement zone.

With golden blonde hair and intense red eyes, the general looked towards the Gate. Mounted on horseback, donning gold trimmed armor, a pristine white cloak flowing behind him. Zorzal Kaesaru closed his eyes and spoke aloud. "Excellent news commander. Send news to Father of our stunning victory and advance the entirety of the army through the Gate. The army of Elbe will be here to guard our flanks soon. Do not have them enter the Gate. The victory of this battle is mine and mine alone." Thinking for a bit, he continued, "Order the execution of some of the Bunny Warrior tribe prisoners we hold. Additional souls for Hardy will be our thanks for this momentous opportunity."

If the officer was perturbed by this, he didn't show it. Iron discipline and absolute loyalty was the only thing the officer allowed himself to show his future-emperor. "Sir, your wish is my command!"

Leaving the officer, Zrozal joined his elite knights. The Iron Fists were a fighting force to fear. Undefeated, they towered above his sister's toy Rose Knights or his brother's siege companies in prestige, strength and honor. Riding hard he charged towards the Gate, glory awaiting him and his order.

"FOR THE EMPIRE!"

 **POV Empire of Japan.**

 **Attention this is an Emergency Military Broadcast This Is Not A Drill**

This is an emergency broadcast, a hostile army of unknown size and capability has landed in Schlacht Square, Tokyo. The ceremonial troops have been driven back and the enemy has established a landing ground. Little is known about this army other than the fact that they are targeting civilians and military personnel indiscriminately. **This Is Not A Drill**

All IJA personnel within 100km of Toyko is to mobilize and report to the nearest station for deployment. All IJA in Japan are placed in a state of alertness. DO NOT ABANDON the Hokkaido defense line unless code red is declared. **This Is Not A Drill**

The 3rd and 9th Imperial Fleets are to set course to Tokyo bay and will receive shelling coordinates momentarily. **This Is Not A Drill**

All fighters are to scramble. Unconfirmed reports of giant airborne units have been received. Exact details are unknown, but hostile air elements are in play. **This Is Not A Drill**

Danger level to drop to Code Orange. Nuclear Command is to be placed on alert. **This Is Not A Drill**


	2. Glory Awaits! (?)

AN. Thanks so much to those who read the story, even more thanks to those who follow, favorite, and review. Can't believe I have to say this, but please refrain from abuse in the reviews. This story will be a bit slow in coming out. I work 30 hours a week and take 15 credit hours for an Engineering Degree… so yeah, but its really fun to write this. It scratches my historical itch, while giving be some rough boundaries. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

POV: No-One in Particular.

As the battle carried on, the IJA eventually lost control of The Gate. Despite the bravery of the troops, their sacrifice was for naught. The ceremonial dress armor that most had been wearing was no substitute for a pistol or a rifle, but that didn't mean they let the invaders push them away from The Gate without a fight though.

The hand-to-hand training of most army members received was second to none. Japanese sword fighting had become essential to survival during the Great Wars. A cut supply chain meant that every bullet had to be saved if possible. After all, a dead comrade could still act as a meat shield (bad cover, and even worse for morale, but still better than nothing at all in a pinch) and probably had a few bullets left on him to boot.

As a result, the Japanese Army could conceivably have pushed back a melee force 3 times as large. Maybe 4 times on a lucky day. But today was not one of those days, and tens of thousands of hulking iron giants came streaming through The Gate. Winged creatures armed with bow had flew around and shot volley after volley of razor sharp arrows at the overwhelmed defenders. On the other hand, many a beast were felled by those few who had guns, mostly guards and nearby police, but they were few in number, and only carried few clips each, not nearly enough to prevent the inevitable.

The IJA troops retreated and regrouped while they could. Bought precious minutes by their brothers who realized that delaying the enemy was the greatest gift they could give to their squad mates and country and bought those seconds with their blood. And thus, the IJA retreated from The Gate.

As the initial Japanese combatant retreated, shattered and in disarray, a relief force was preparing to give those who dared to invade their empire a nasty greeting. Properly equipped for battle, divisions of tanks raced through the streets, regiments of men streaming besides them. Despite no fighting occurring, the roar of battle grew louder and louder by the second. The tanks and the distant roar of planes from the east, the murderous battle cry of thousands from the west.

"Enemy Sighted! Targeting! Fire!". The roar of one thousand machine guns and dozens of tank barrels threw fire and lead towards the enemy, silencing them for eternity. A small piece of lead moving at a relatively quick speed turned out to be more than enough to penetrate and iron shield, armor and then flesh. Whereas the tidal wave of warriors and monsters flowed infinitely from the gate just a bit before, minute by minute, the steel of the IJA chewed through their foes with a vengeance.

Dragon riders suddenly found themselves overwhelmed by missile-laden fighter-jets, which shrieked by, unloading into the beasts with a vengeance. At the same time naval gun fire rained down, enveloping entire streets of the district in sheets of flame. All of the streets quickly filled with bodies, as the IJA fought back.

* * *

At the same time, Japanese members of Nuclear Command sighed a breath of relief. They _wouldn't have_ to 'fight'. The tide of the battle was quickly shifting in Japan's favor, and they wouldn't be ordered to end the world, at least for today.

* * *

POV: Itami

Itami was not having a good day. First he had been late to a ceremony; then next thing he knew, a tank had accidently destroyed his car. Tarō had miraculously survived and was busy swearing in delirium at Itami as if the situation was his fault. Tuning him out Itami began to trudge his way towards where the rest of the army was coming from. No medics to be found, only bravery and subsequently death.

He stopped and asked the first officer he found. Panting for breath, he pointed to Tarō and managed to force out, "Huff… Minister huff.. Kanō… need medic… now."

After squinting to inspect the filthy men next to him, the officer's eyes widened in recognition when he realized this tattered dirty man was actually the Minister of War. Quickly grabbing a squad of soldiers, they escorted the two towards the nearest Command HQ.

When they spotted the offices of the HQ, suddenly the ground started to rumble. The escorting soldiers spun around and were shocked by what they saw. A small reconnaissance force of light cavalry had managed to sneak out of the battle zone undetected and find their way though the alleyways. Barring down on the soldiers, they moved in for the kill. At least until the soldiers open fired and immediately smashed any chances of a successful charge. Shrieks of horses and men filled the air as they crashed to the ground.

Unfortunately for them, they had realized that the cavalry was there too late. By the time the cavalry was dead, they were too close. Despite the misleading name, "light cavalry" the horses they rode were quite heavy. In addition, they were moving fairly quickly, and unfortunately for the soldiers, very dead.

Crashing down into the squad, a few were able to jump out of the way, but some weren't so lucky. The fast ones hit their heads and died, the slower members of the squad had their bones crushed into the pavement. Trapped by the combined weight of man, horse, and iron.

Rushing over to the scene, guards from the HQ tent came and secured the area before helping a battered and bloody Itami carry the Minister to a medical tent. As soon as Tarō was lifted from his shoulders he collapsed onto the floor, exhausted. As he fell to the ground he slowly faded to unconsciousness as the medics rushed around him.

* * *

POV: Zrozal

It was a disaster, as the troops fell around Zrozal by the hundreds, he watched in horror as thousands of fire mages and summoners were brought down upon his army. Not even the city of Rondel could boast magic that powerful, yet here it was. Summoners brought forth iron behemoths, billowing fire and crushing all who got in the way. Iron birds hovered over the battle field. Mowing down any stragglers it could find, while at the same time deploying more mages to the battle. In addition, every soldier seemed to be gifted with the power of the flame, as they brought death and destruction to his allies.

Now a good and capable commander might be able to pull off an organized retreat, salvaging what he could and comeback another day, but Zrozal was neither of these. Aggressive and impetuous a while ago, his true cowardly nature shone through everything else. He was not interested in danger or peril, only the glory and fame that would accompany victory in battle.

His original plan was to "lead" the army to glory, surrounded and protected by the elite troops, of course. All of that had been smashed by the fire and metal storm that was on the other side of The Gate. His knights lay strewn about him, their bodies crumpled and full of holes. "What kind of magic could so easily pierce our shields and armor?" Zrozal cried out. He was unable to attack the enemy or even defend himself; so for now, he did the only thing there was left to do. He ran.

Not stopping for fallen soldiers crying out in pain, or even those who tried to ask him for orders. He pushed past them, cutting them down when they blocked his escape. This was panicked rout, nothing could stop him from reaching friendly soil.  
By sheer luck, he managed not be shot by and Japanese soldiers and managed to make his way back to Saderan soil, something he didn't think he could miss that dearly until today. He ran over to the nearest field messenger he could find.

The messenger saluted, still able to recognize the heir to the throne, despite his disastrous state. "My Lord! What is it you need o- GAHH!" Zrozal paid no attention to this fool. Casting him off his horse and commandeering it, he rode hard to rode towards Sadera, not even glancing backwards once.

* * *

A while later: Saderan Imperial Senate.

An older man stood in the center of the senate chamber, gold decorations shining nearly as brightly as his aged head. For this was the most senior and respected elder of the Senate. Before him was Zrozal, still dirty and grimy from battle. Zrozal was on his feet, but bowed to the Senator, for even in his arrogance, he knew if he took the blame for this, he would be politically dead or assassinated by his foes.

"What do you mean the whole army was lost?!" The senior Senator cried out as Zrozal reported what happened. We sent over 100,000 men and we were so utterly humiliated? How is this even possible!" He shouted, pointing his finger at Zrozal in accusation.

Raising his head and defiantly speaking, Zrozal simply stated, "There was nothing I could do, thousands of mages and iron war beasts descended upon our army and destroyed us. I was lucky to escape with my life."

Another member of the Imperial Senate stood and shouted, "Coward! You ran to save your skin! By limping back here in defeat you have brought shame to our Empire! You should join Hardy with the rest of your soldiers!"

As more and more Senators joined in the accusations Zrozal, some joined in the defense of the crown-prince. As the argument reached a boiling point, a lone figure raised his hand. Immediately, the room fell into silence; for this was the Emperor, Molt Sol Augustus, owner of most the world, and claimant to the remainder. Standing up he cast a glance at his son.

"Prince Zrozal the news of your defeat is… disappointing" Zrozal flinched at this, "but nevertheless, it is only the first battle of what will be a long and bloody war. Despite this, we will crush these barbarians and make them pay for what they have done." Turning to an attendant, he continued, "We shall call all of our allies, tributaries and subjects to gather their arms and to march for Alnus. We shall crush all those who dare oppose us!"  
Thunderous applause rang throughout the Senate chamber. After all, who could truly fight and hope to outlast the Empire?

* * *

A Few Days Later: Alnus Hill

As the United Army of the Empire made camp at Alnus, they prepared for battle. Battle against an unseen enemy, for beyond the gate were creatures of legend. Iron beasts and fire demons had slaughtered tens of thousands of their countrymen, yet here they stood. For if they allowed the enemy to pass, Italica and the rest of the Empire would be open to attack.

So for now, they built defenses. Deep moats were dug around The Gate and tall wooden barricades strewn across the entrance with archer towers covering every imaginable angle. Anything that came through the entrance would become a pincushion.

High above the sky, dragon scouts reported something strange. A single white bird, but this was unlike any bird they had ever seen. No beak or feathers, it spanned the length of a great eagle, but never flapped its wings. When they tried to capture it, it only flew higher, much higher than they could ever hope to get.

Unable to catch it, they ignored it. Perhaps is would interest an animal tamer back home or make a good story to tell their children about someday.

* * *

7 days after initial contact: Japanese General Staff Headquarters

Slightly recovered, Itami stood behind the Japanese Minister of War: Tarō Kanō. Despite being heavily wounded in the battle, Kanō only suffered leg wounds and was able to get around with a wheel chair, which Itami was currently responsible for.

He sat at the head of a table which had very few members at it. One of the officers stood up. "Minister Kanō, as a result of the attacks, many members of government have been incapacitated or killed. Unfortunately, French agents were able to leak info of the attack to our enemies, and Soviet guerrillas have increased their attacks in Siberia, tying down Imperial Armies there. Additionally, the Republic of Hokkaido has launched an assault on Manchuria, potentially catching the North-West Empire in a pincer attack.

Since scouting from across The Gate shows that the enemy has dug itself in and has no intention to attack, most of our reserves and ground personnel have been moved to combat this threat. As a result, you have been officially assigned to be the head of the military planning operation for region beyond The Gate, designated as The Special Region.

Kanō took a few notes and muttered to himself, "Stupid Frogs, too bad we didn't obliterate Paris before all the disarmament treaties were signed." Sighing he told his staff. "You all know we are in dire situations. The Empire is like an egg under pressure. China pushes from the West, while the Soviets and Hokkaido cause havoc in the North. To the East and South, the Canadian Navy harasses our shipping. Opening up another front in this war would normally untenable."

A general spoke up, "Sir, our reconnaissance drones have allowed us to observe the enemy and view their defenses, and we have been blessed by this opportunity. They show a classical civilization that has no knowledge of even gunpowder. The only advantage they have is sheer numbers. But as we saw in the Great War, no wave of humans can stand to even an antique machine gun."

Smiling the rest of the generals all knew the solution to their problems with the inclusion of this information. First of all, weapons and supplies were no longer an issue. The first-rate supplies would still go to the Earthly front lines, this was non-negotiable. It Tokyo was conquered, there was no point in exploring the Special Region. Old and obsolete weapons could be scavenged from armories or bought from the Great Neutral, The United States, who would be all to eager to sell off excess weapons from a bygone era. If the capabilities of the invaders were truly ancient, it would be a cakewalk.

One of the scientists spoke up, "I suggest that we do pull some modern equipment to the Special Region. The scales of these creatures, which are identical to dragons describes in myth, are harder than any organic substance that exists on Earth. In addition, prisoners taken were identified as Orcish, Elven, Dwarven, and multiple races of half-animals. All of these races hold some advantage to a human and could potentially best them in some circumstances. Anti-aircraft guns, a squad of fighter jets and a regiment or two of tanks or other anti-infantry machinery would resolve the majority of these issues.

Nodding Kanō and the others took notes and continued to hammer out the fine details of the operation. Once they were finished, he turned to Itami. "Itami, you have shown great courage during our first battle. There will be no celebration or ceremony, but I am promoting you to 1st Lt. I would like you to accompany the army into to Special Region and be our eyes and ears there. I want you to lead on of the recon teams on the ground. This is a great honor and I hope you accept"

Itami stood there in shock. He had just gone from 2nd Lt and wheelchair pusher to 1st Lt. and squad leader. "I don't know what to say…" he stated, a little dumbfounded.

Kanō smiled, "You say 'yes', that's what you say!" and broke out into laughter.

Itami smiled and started to laugh as well. And so a 1st Lt. and the Minister of War sat there laughing, oblivious the rest of the General Staff.

* * *

The Next Day. Schlacht Square/The Gate

The Square was a mess, where there once was a massive monument to the efforts of those who died in the Great Wars, lie a massive ornate gate. In the center of it was a black maw, ominously staring back into the bright daylight. Rubble lined the streets, and blood stains scarred the granite slabs of the street.

Where there once were parade tanks, a line of combat tanks and armored cars sat. Adorned with machine guns and mortars, this army was obsolete by nearly 50 years, but it would do. It would have to do, for it was the only supplies that the Empire could scrounge up.

A couple of soldiers were passing the time until the operation commenced. One was complaining, "We're involved in a life or death struggle with others and I get to go pacify some ancient barbarians? Talk about boring."

The other soldier, merely shrugged, "Eh, its better than fighting and dying in some damned dirty jungle in Indochina. My cousin is in drone maintenance, he says the climate there is perfect and the weather is amazing. It'll be like a vacation."

A buzz sounded the ready signal and the two scrambled to their positions. Before the commencement, Minister Kanō came to make a speech. Pushed by a liaison he made his way to a platform. "Men and women of Japan, a week ago we were brutally attacked by barbarians from another world. Civilians were caught in the attack and suffered as well. This is your chance to avenge their deaths and bring the aggressors to justice!" Taking a drink, he began again. "I know that this new world might be unfamiliar and strange, even frightening at times, but know that in your heart you are an Imperial citizen and that you are invincible together. Together you will succeed. Together you will live.

As Kanō was wheeled away, the tanks started to roll forward, followed by the infantry cars. The earth seemed to shake as thousands of pounds of metal lurched forward and towards the blackness of The Gate, until they were swallowed whole by the darkness.

And the IJA advanced.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to Review, Favorite or Follow.


	3. Imperial Ambition

The Empress-Queen sat at her desk, a masterwork of craftsmanship that was currently littered with multiple reports. Taxes to be collected, the Federal Assembly was holding elections and all sorts of political intrigue was swirling around in the dark. However, all of that was second to the reports that she had been getting in.

For the last week, Japanese cables had been acquiring assistance. Much to her frustration, due to the gears of bureaucracy the report had been disregarded, Japan sent far too many pleas for help against its enemies, and her country was not about to fight in any Asian land wars if she had anything to say about it.  
However, this new set of reports was about to change the world. A portal to another dimension had opened up in the middle of Tokyo. This was an opportunity that couldn't be passed up. It was also a defensive call to arms, and one that the Empress technically couldn't ignore as The Gate was only a few blocks from the Austro-Hungarian Embassy.

Even if foreign paratroopers dropped into Tokyo, she might have to think about committing to the fight. The Austrian peace treaties were uneasy as they currently stood, and conflict with one nation would certainly mean war with the rest.

However, this new land was purportedly unclaimed and full of undiscovered resources and opportunities, but at the end of the day, there was still the problem of Mitteleuropa. The savior of Europe, defender of the civilized world, and a stagnant superpower in action. Where in times of mortal danger the German Empire was seen as a beacon of liberty, but a curious thing happens when a nation starts to win a war. With the British Empire broken, and the French danger neutered, the Kaisereich failed to realize that the stubborn traits that allowed it to survive, now turned it into something to be scorned.

The Austrian-Hungarian Empire was doomed to the same fate. Led by an emperor, just like Mittelruropa, the authority of the emperor was the only thing that had held together the Empire, an inhumane force that held together nearly twenty minor ethnic groups. That was until the she had come into power. The Habsburgs hadn't been around since the 2nd millennium just to collapse shy of the 3rd.

Sweeping liberal reforms, new tolerant laws and a campaign of Imperial unity led to a reborn Habsburg Monarchy. This combined with the disastrous policies of the neighboring nations helped bolster Austrian-Hungarian popularity.

As mentioned previously, growing unpopularity in Berlin resulted in a growing number of public riots and crackdowns. Recent massive oil production in America had crashed the oil prices and there was a developing crisis in the 3rd Roman Empire to the south. (She always cursed Napoleon for destroying the Holy Roman Empire, she could have held the tile. But no, the Turks in Istanbul decided to claim it, and the previous Kaiser supported them just to snub her.) To the East and West, the Communist experiment was hopefully going to come to an end. The Commune of France was nearing bankruptcy and fresh hostilities had broken out between the Petrograd Soviet and the Russian Republic.

Italians in the west and Ukrainians in the east, Poles in the north and Albanians in the south, never before had the Empire been so united, and now it was time to strike. Picking up the phone she contacted the Japanese Embassy to see if she couldn't get a foothold into this new world.

* * *

Location: Saderan Camp

The sun hung low in the summer sky. The brilliant sunset hues breathed a beautifully flowered hill in the evening glow, an endless prairie stretching for as far as the eye can see. Off to one side lay a large camp, with colorful Imperial banners fluttering in the wind. Atop the hill lie an ornate gate, towering above any structure or tree, it marked the gateway to another world. For this was Alnus Hill, birthplace of and one of the most holy places to all races on Falmart. All races, men and orc, elf and beast-man, all considered this hill sacred, and now it was their duty to defend it.

Inside of the camp, many of the men assigned for duty were busy milling about, their energy sapped by the perfect evening. Some groups were practicing dueling or archery in the dwindling light, but most were pre-occupied with a sport, sitting around a campfire playing poker, or just socializing with their companions. Despite the carefree state of the camp, inside of the command tent, a meeting of the Imperial Generals was occurring.

The commander of the army stood up addressed the rest of his subordinates. Pointing to the map of the region he stated, "We've done all we can to defend this gate against enemy attack with the amount of time we've been given, archer towers, and barricades have been erected. We can only wait and hope more reinforcements arrive soon."

One of the lower commanders spoke up, the others turned to him interested, "I've been walking around the ranks and the discipline of the camp is far too lax. We've got to regain order in this camp, if the enemy attack us in this state, we will be crushed."

"Are you calling my men undisciplined?! We could fight this enemy singlehandedly and win every day of the week!" A regional warlord stood and shouted down at the sub-commander, who immediately regretting speaking up.

He started to stutter out an excuse, but another regional duke spoke up, "I agree, what is this petty Imperial officer to say about the quality of our troops? If you feel that we are not needed, perhaps we can return to our homes."

As the meeting of generals turned into a boasting match, a clamor outside the tent started to be heard over the egos of the bickering nobles. As the rumbling grew louder, suddenly a large explosion could be heard in the distance.

"What in the world was that?!" commanders shouted in confusion as the earth began to shake. Stumbling over each other, they burst through the heavy purple tent flaps.

Tramping the nearby tents into dust was the ASCOD Ulan, a double headed eagle painted on the side was stained with blood, and next to it was a truly ancient creature. Saved from the scrapyard, a team of Type 61 battle tanks rolled past the Ulan, stopping atop a crest and blowing fire out of their ancient turrets. The turret of the T61 slowly turned to the command tent, the commanders frozen in fear of this iron beast. Several had piss running down their legs as the earth shook. The look of fear was plastered on their face as they were blown away into the wind.

Due to stopping, two particularly brave men, armed with only swords, climbed atop the T61 and attempted to bang their way in, but to no effect.

Over the radio, the Japanese tanker started to laugh, "Ha! How many times is that today now? They must love us pretty bad."

One of the Ulan crew members radioed back, "Too bad we have to keep them off your back. Its not even a challenge, we've got to use these shrimpy machine guns. They only gave us 150 rounds for the 30mm." He continued as he cleared the area, "Hey, but if you wanted to know, if you started a taxi service, you'd make a decent profit."

The two laughed as the Ulan swept the hillside clean.

* * *

Sadera

Molt Augustus crushed the paper that was handed to him in disgust , another utter defeat. What made these foreigners so tough, so invincible? It obviously wasn't any bravery or civilizational advantage. After all, what rational people would slaughter so many? Or perhaps was it that his army was full of weak cowards and traitors.

Even worse, with the destruction of Imperial forces in the region, vasal kings, powerful warlords and treacherous nobles within his own empire were clamoring for rights, autonomy and even outright independence. This was unacceptable, if each petty man owned a plot of land wanted power the Empire would be broken before this was could even truly begin. Despite this setback, he knew what had to be done. He was losing because the enemy refused to fight fairly, well two could play at that game.

However, before he could issue any orders, the doors at the end of his personal chambers burst open. In strode, no, in _stormed_ a young woman red cloak and hair blazing behind her as she approached him, her face burning an equal shade of red in anger; this was his daughter, Princess Piña Co Lada.

She cried out in disgust, "My Emperor, are you aware that the foreigners occupy the Holy Site of Alnus? What are your intentions to answer this? Or is it your plan for them to humiliate the Empire further?"

Upon the Emperor fell a barrage of questions and insults from the fiery princess. Internally, he sighed. Why were all of his children so worthless? Diablo was the most tolerable, but was too smart for his own good and always questioned his policy and decisions. Piña was too ambitious, always seeking to prove something, what he wasn't sure, but her uncrushable spirit always found a way to irritate him. Zrozal, was the worst, irrational and wrothful, this however, made him his favorite as he was easy to manipulate and control.

Growing tired of his daughter arguing with the assistant in the room with him he suddenly spoke up.

"Burn it all!" he stated aloud to his personal assistant. Both Piña and the froze immediately.

"Pardon me my lord?" the man bowed, caught unaware by the sudden and random order.

"Order the Generals and Kings of the land to burn all of the fields, and towns in front of the enemy. We'll smoke them off the hill and watch them starve. In addition order _all_ of our allies to attack the hill."

Piña's jaw dropped as the assistant, knowing better not to display extreme motion, only stated, "A wise decision my lord, however we must find a way to save money from this decision. A scorched earth campaign will result in a short-medium term tax revenue decrease."

Dismissing the thought, the Emperor stated, "The money will come from the savings of not having to garrison the destroyed countryside." Despite the dubiousness of the plan, it would work, for the remaining expense would come in the form of tribute from his broken enemies, and possibly even allies as the Empire re-asserted its dominance over the world.

As Piña started to retort to the madness that was occurring, the Emperor interrupted her, "Princess Piña, you and the Rose-Order will be tasked with scouting this enemy, see if you can't figure out why the enemy is seemingly invincible on the battlefield."

Piña exclaimed, "Do you seek to kill me? No other force has gotten even close to the enemy, and yet you ask your own daughter to attempt the impossible?"

The emperor retorted, "No I wish for you to succeed, and help me crush these invaders, but it should be an easy task. A Princess of the Empire with a group of elite knights should be able to succeed, or perhaps you and your plaything of toy soldiers aren't up to the task?"

As if smacked across the face, Piña's face shifted into a grim line. Getting down onto one knee she simply responded, "As you wish my Emperor." and left the room.

* * *

Several Days Later, 2nd Battle of Alnus Hill.

What's the price of a mile? That's what ran through the minds of every soldier in the Austro-Hungarian-Japanese army as they fired a storm of steel into the advancing enemy. The though ran through the Saderan army as well. However, the mentality of both armies were night and day.

The defenders scoffing at the stupidity of the enemy. After all, they had already been utterly crushed two times before; yet here they were, trying to cross a quadruple layer of barbed wire multiple anti-infantry trenches and the barrages of artillery.

However, the attackers were in crisis mode. They were told just hours before that they were the last stand for the Empire that they were the last stand for civilization and hope, that they would be safe behind the impenetrable testudo and that they would drive their swords through their enemies.

That never happened, caught up in sharp metal entanglements, they were sitting ducks for the hail of metal that came their way. For the third, and possibly last, time in this war, the Saderan Imperial Army found itself destroyed by a tsunami of steel and fire.

They had been lied to, betrayed and driven to the slaughter like lambs. As the men lie dying on the field, screaming in pain, a collective thought went out. What's the price of a single _inch?_

* * *

K.U.K-IJA Mobile Headquarters.

"Six hundred-thousand dead and wounded have been estimated sirs." a liaison officer reported to each national commander.

The Austrian general let out a low whistle, "Jesus, that's more than five times we've ever lost in a day, yet this is the 3rd time this enemy has sacrificed these numbers. What kind of enemy are we facing?"

The Japanese commander responded, "A suicidal enemy, brave like the ideal Japanese soldier, but stupid beyond belief. While it makes our jobs easy, this mass slaughter is something that cannot be sustained."

The liaison officer spoke up, "Sirs, the reconnaissance parties have reported a lack of significant troop movements in the area. It is suggested that no armies are left to stand against us. However, we've lost two recon units since we've come through the battle. One Austro-Hungarian and one Japanese."

The Austrian general groaned and buried his head in his hands. "Hundreds of thousands killed in a stunning victory, and at the cost of two dozen soldiers. The idiots had to get themselves killed, did they? How did they even lose? They had _guns!"_

The liason shuffled around, looking for the right report. Finding it, he read it, "The Japanese 1st Recon Team and Austro-Hungarian 2nd Recon Team have been placed out of commission. 2nd Recon has suffered breakdowns in the field. Repair attempts were unsuccessful, so the vehicles were completely destroyed, and they had to make their way back on foot. Multiple ambushes on the return trip resulted in seven minor casualties, but no deaths were incurred. The whole team is currently recuperating and will be unavailable for a week."

The Austrian general slumped in obvious relief, but his counter-part asked the officer. "And the others?"

The liaison officer glanced at the report, and grew pale, but continued to read the report, "Well you see sir…"

* * *

Earlier that week.

A small convoy of Jeeps trailed their way through "We're a joke." The driver of the vehicle said aloud.

Confused and annoyed, his friend woke up and said, "Man, I'm tryin' to sleep. What the hell are you talking about?"

The driver repeated, "We're a joke. Two Koreans, a Mongolian, and a ton of Japanese climb into a car and get lost in the forest. Next they-"

His sleepy passenger picked up the nearest object and threw it at the driver, "Shut up you idiot"

As the driver ducked to dodge the object, he turned his head around and stuck his tongue out, "Gotta try harder than that!"

Another person in the car noticed that while his idiot driver wasn't paying attention, something had jumped in front of the car. "HEY! Turn around you bas-"

Turning around, the driver started to swerve, but it was too late as they slammed into the soldier, his bones crunching under the tires of the vehicle. The lead car came to a halt, the second crashing into the back of it, while the third careened off into a ditch.

"What the hell was that about? Are you tryin' to kill us?" the members of the second car came out cursing at the leading crew.

Later that evening, K.U.K-IJA Mobile Headquarters.

The Japanese general groaned, almost as loudly as his co-commander had earlier. After listening to the body recorders and writing the paper work for a court martial he was exhausted. Additionally, the fact that the primary recon teams for each nation were unavailable meant that new captains and crew had to be found.

Unfortunately for him, the Defense Minister had sent him a request for his personal favorite to be appointed. While it did save on the amount of paperwork he would have to do, he would have _never_ of picked this soldier to lead. Now it wasn't favoritism, the soldier in question was a superb one, ideal actually, but he sure knew how to get on people's nerves.

* * *

POV: Itami

As Itami lazed around the battlefield, he poked at a dead soldier with his bayonet. Dead. Just like the other thousands of corpses left on the battlefield. It didn't matter that they were using bulldozers and flamethrowers to try to rid themselves of the bodies, they were everywhere.

Finding a clean patch of grass, he sat down and stared at the sky. Wondering when his next vacation was. Perhaps he could find a nice little corner of this world and rest there? After all, the weather was perfect here.

One of his squad mates called out to him, "C'mon Itami, were supposed to be patrolling the nearby area. You're gonna get cleaning duty again if someone catches you moping around like this."

He lay down on the hillside and closed his eyes. "I'll just keep watch over this area for a while. 'll catch up to you guys later." He lazily responded, pulling his hat over his head. After throwing some insults thrown his way, his squad eventually strolled away, in all likelihood trying to find a quiet place to sit down as well.

Eventually he was caught. Akira Yanagida stood in front of him, his figure silhouetted by the afternoon sun. He woke up Itami gently if not a bit sarcastically, "Having a nice nap Itami? Perhaps I could get you something hmm? A blanket or some food maybe?"

Blinking sleepily, Itami murmered, "If you would stand a little out of my sun, that'd be nice." And he rolled back over.

Despite being a typical response, it still ticked off Akira, "Get up you bastard!" he shouted while delivering a swift kick to Itami's ass.

Stretching and yawning. Itami replied. "Alright, Alright, I'm up, what do you want?"

Straightening his glasses, Akira huffed, "I don't know, but I do know that you're supposed to report to command for new orders."

Rubbing the back of his head Itami joked, "Ah man, I was hoping to lose you and find another place to nap."

Sighing Akira retorted, "You'd probably fall asleep if the Emperor himself showed up."

* * *

K.U.K-IJA Mobile Headquarters.

"A promotion?!" Itami blurted out. He had just been promoted from 2nd Lt. just a couple weeks ago, and now he was being made a captain.

The Japanese commander addressed the former lieutenant, "Yes, _Captain_ Itami. Minister of War Kanō has recommended you to lead a joint reconnaissance company. Normally we would give you a squad or two and let you wander around in the woods for a bit, but recent uhh… circumstances with the Japanese recon team have forced us to change how we are operating." He glanced over to the Austrian commander who only showed a little amusement. He continued, "The Japanese Diet is clamoring for usable resources for military manufacturing, civilian lobbies are sending similar requests for commercial purposes. The one and only time the hawks and the doves can agree on anything is when they pressure us, huh?" he gave Itami a small smile.

"Therefore, you will be given full autonomy of a reconnaissance mission. When you were sent here it was with the objective of finding resources, but now you will also learn the language of the enemy, map the demographics and political situation, and attempt to make peace with the locals. However, the mission is classified as Reconnaissance in Force, limited offensive maneuvers are permitted if you deem them necessary." The officer finished.

The Austrian General added in his message, "My government also wishes to make it clear that we are contributing to the exploration of the Special Region. Your government has permitted us to attach a platoon to the company."

Nodding, the Japanese commander concluded, "That's all for now. You'll be getting the rest of the information such as exact troop numbers and equipment in a report later. Any questions?"

 _"_ _Well there goes my chance for a vacation anytime soon."_ Itami dejectedly thought.

"Excuse me?" His commander leaned forward, unable to process what he just heard.

 _'_ _Oh shit! I said that out loud didn't I? shit Shit SHIT!'_ Unable to come up with a way to save the situation he simply replied. "No further questions sir!" saluting and trying to not be instantly demoted.

"Dismissed." The commander said, his voice laced with steel.

Once Itami had left the Japanese commander groaned and threw his head into his hands. "Well at least I don't have to see him for a while." He muttered.

The Austrian commander let out a deep chuckle, "I think he'll do well. If these medieval folks are anything like the countryside lower-class back home they'll love him. Someone who speaks his mind and isn't threatening. I've read his files, we might actually be sending out a PR team out there."

Groaning once more, the Japanese commander simply replied, "I hope you're right."

* * *

The next day.

After being scolded by Akira for being an idiot, Itami had looked at the personnel and equipment list. They were serious about this being a reconnaissance in force.

(IJA) Mitsubishi Type 73 light truck: 13 (10 infantry transport, 3with rear mounted M2 Brownings)

(IJA) Toyota Type 73 Medium Truck: 2

(IJA) Mitsubishi Type 89 IFV: 1

(K.u.K) ATF Dingo: 1

(K.u.K) Pinzgauer 4x4 M: 1

(K.u.K.) Pionierpanzer A1: 1

(K.u.K.)M18 Hellcat: 1

While slightly unbalanced, the lack of threat from any enemy so far would mean that the anti-personnel would be sufficient for defense, and the K.u.K. would mostly provide a critical supporting role in the extended operation, except that Hellcat packed one hell of a punch. You can always rely on one of the United States to sell you some old equipment. Even if one wanted you dead, it only meant two or three others would offer you a special discount.

While vehicle equipment was impressive, the number of troops he was given was nothing to balk at either.

 **-557** **th** **Infantry Company (3 Platoons)**

 **-K.u.K. 44** **th** **Heavy Pioneer Company (2 Platoons)**

 **-112** **th** **Specialized Infantry Detachment (1 Platoon [3 sections])**

IJA Geographic Survey Section (2 Sections)

IJA Communications Team (1 Section)

Looking at the map, the primary objective was to map out the nearby forests and investigate the nearby city.

"C'mon captain, were gonna be late!" a small child shout over to him.

Rubbing his eyes Itami realized that this child was in IJA uniform. Glancing at his personel sheet he matched her face to the name, Kuribayashi, Shino. She was smiling brightly at him, full of energy and bouncing all over the truck.

"Is this gonna be a grand adventure or will it turn into a goose chase?" Itami asked himself and got into the vehicle with Kuribayashi.

Another soldier overheard and shouted back, "I hope we find lots of hot girls on the way!"

After chatting to the man Itami learned that his name was Vittorio Endrizzi, and was a native of

Venedig(Venice).

Itami and Vittorio were talking about how they found themselves in the Army. "The clean air, the peace and beauty of nature. I didn't realize it, but it was all home in my beautiful Venice, I left her and regretted it, but managed to find peace here in the Army fighting for my friends, my country."

One of the older solders from another car radioed in, "Sorry to ruin your propaganda speech, but it's time to leave captain."

As the car lurched forward Itami shouted, punching his fist into the air. "Alright let's do this!"

And the IJA advanced.

* * *

As the convoy was departing the base a cloaked figure ran deep into the woods and released a messenger bird into the sky. "Fly, be as swift as the wind and be safe… for the sake of everyone in Sadera."


End file.
